This invention relates to a container for a granular insecticide and, in particular, to a bait station for use in attracting and reducing the local fly population.
The fact that livestock operations such as feed lots, dairies, stables and kennels generate conditions that promote the propagation and support of enormous fly populations is well known. These conditions are also present on the grounds of many different types of food processing plants and canneries as well as waste facilities. It is recognized that flies have distinguished themselves throughout history as persistent pests and health threats to both man and animal. Numerous studies have been made documenting flies as carriers of disease. As a result, substantial time and effort has been expended to develop insecticides which can be used to control the fly population. Typically, these insecticides are broadcast throughout entire areas either in the form of sprays or as solids in order to shorten the life of these insects.
Recent studies have now shown that the widespread use of insecticides in an indiscriminate manner has far greater ramifications than originally though when the impact on man and his environment is examined. Consequently, there has been increasing interest generated in localized trapping of insects in order to prevent the constituents of the insecticides from entering the food chain. One approach that is finding great favor is to combine the insecticide with one or more specialized attractants to increase the population density of the insects being controlled. The combination serves to draw the flies to a central location which contains the specific agent for eliminating them.
Extensive research has been done in the identification and synthesis of sex attractants for different species of flies. These attractants, generally termed pheromones, are relatively expensive, limiting their widespread application even though they have been shown to be effective. Frequently, the sex attractants have been combined with feeding adjuvants which appeal to the gustatory sense of the insects. Other attractants are those appealing to the olfactory sense of the fly and are often based on nitrogenous materials such as trimethylamine and ammonia. A variety of combinations of different attractants have been tested and successfully used as fly baits. The development of fly baits comprised of one or more attractants and insecticide in liquid form enables solid carriers such as sugar, clay, ground peanut hulls or other inert materials to be impregnated with the liquid mixture and used as a solid scatter bait. One such fly bait found to be particularly successful in controlling the fly population is the Apache Fly Bait manufactured and sold by the Farnam Companies, Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz.
When used as a scatter bait the mixture is found to be effective only for limited periods since the material is widely dispersed and exposed to the elements. The localized increases in density of the fly population are short-lived since the bait is not concentrated in a large volume at a given point. Furthermore, the release of the attractant is not controlled. In addition, the insecticide utilized may not permit the scatter bait to be used in areas or under circumstances where food-producing animals, pets and children have access thereto.
In order to fully utilize the tremendous potential of the variety of attractants available with different insecticides, it is important to be able to utilize the granules of a solid fly bait in a manner which promotes a controlled release of the attractants and thereby extend the period of efficacy of the fly bait. In addition, the container for the fly bait should deploy the bait in a reasonably large volume to maintain an increased density of the fly population at that location. This feature is important since flies are found to cluster and this tendency should be promoted for control purposes.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a container for the controlled use of a fly bait. Furthermore, the present invention is directed to the provision of a bait station having a structure that is both attractive to the flies and confines the bait in an accessible manner above ground. Among the advantages of the invention are the simplification of the manufacturing steps required to produce a bait station and the ability to provide a structure which can be readily assembled by the user without requiring the use of hand tools.